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History
The Buckley School was founded in 1933 as an independent co-educational institution by Dr. Isabelle Buckley. Drawing on her experiences abroad where schools emphasized a well-rounded program, Dr. Buckley developed her own 4-Fold Plan of Education. During the early years, campuses were located in L.A., Tarzana, Encino, and on Woodman Avenue and Riverside Avenue in Sherman Oaks. In 1964, Dr. Buckley purchased land that had been owned by the Glenaire Country Club and by 1973 was able to accommodate all divisions of the school on the new Stansbury Avenue campus in Sherman Oaks. Today, The Buckley School is a college preparatory day school, with students in kindergarten through grade twelve.
Enrollment
770 students total
Lower School: 255 students (kindergarten through grade five)
Middle School: 210 students (grades six through eight)
Upper School: 305 students (grades nine through twelve).
Student/Faculty Ratio
8:1
Average Class Size
Middle School—17
Upper School—14
Faculty
100 faculty members; 6 hold doctoral degrees and 44 have Master's degrees. Sixty-four percent have 10 or more years teaching experience.
Campus
Buckley’s Lower, Middle and Upper divisions are located on a single, 18-acre campus nestled in a wooded canyon in Sherman Oaks.
Among other things, our facilities include: 63 classrooms; two libraries; 710 computers and campus-wide WiFi; 46 interactive whiteboards; 55 iPads; an indoor gymnasium and theatre; a 4-acre outdoor field and stadium; an indoor pool; a weight-training facility; an outdoor basketball practice court; two Lower School play yards; a nature trail; and a garden and outdoor classroom/patio in Lower School.
Academics
Buckley’s Lower School employs developmental methods. The Middle and Upper School program is college preparatory. At all levels, critical thinking, creativity, moral development and a global perspective are woven across our curriculum.
- Mid-50% SAT range for the Class of 2011 (73 test-takers):
- Mid-50% ACT range for the Class of 2011 (14 test-takers):
- Advanced Placement: Buckley’s curriculum includes more than 25 Advanced Placement courses, some of which are offered in alternate years. Last year, our students score 3 or higher on 80% of their AP exams and a top score of 5 on 29% of their exams. Nationally, 59% of students score 3 or higher. (click here for additional data)
- Students in the Class of 2011 were accepted by 147 colleges and universities and enrolled in 50 colleges in 19 states and the District of Columbia; 54% of those applying to highly selective colleges that admit 30% or fewer of their applicants received acceptances.
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College Matriculation (by region) Type of Institution (by number of Students)
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- 5 Buckley math teams placed in the top 10 ranks nationally; 8 students ranked in the top 20.
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The Student Voice student newspaper was awarded the Silver Crown from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (top 50 U.S. student papers) and The Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society International First Place Award of Superior Achievement (granted to fewer than 100 schools worldwide).
- Buckley’s Chapter of Junior States of America was named 2010 Chapter of Year and earned the second spot in national competition.
Arts
All students take classes in the both the visual and performing arts through eighth grade. In the Upper School, one year of arts coursework is required, though a vast majority of Buckley students participate in the arts, either through academic classes or extracurricular programs throughout their Buckley career.
- Last year, two students were top entrants in the highly competitive Music Center Spotlight Awards and 41 works by Buckley students were awarded Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
- Buckley took home 9 awards from the 2011 Heritage Festival, including Top Choral Group and the Festival Spirit Award.
- 6 students earned positions in the highly selective California All-State Choir.
Athletics
Physical education is a part of our curriculum in all grades. Our competitive athletic program begins in the 5th grade. For years, Buckley has competed successfully at the varsity and junior varsity levels of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). This has become an even greater priority for us over the past several years and our teams have grown even stronger.
In 2010-2011:
- The girls varsity tennis team won the CIF Championship after an undefeated season in league play.
- The boys varsity basketball team took its 9th consecutive league title, made the CIF Championship final, and was invited to the State Tournament.
- The boys varsity soccer and golf teams also won their leagues, and 18 athletes were named to all-league teams, six athletes were names league MVPs and Nick de Bonfilhs ’11 was named CIF Player of the Year in boys basketball.
- The Middle School fielded 52 teams in 16 different sports. 96% of Middle School students played at least 1 sport; 93% played 2 or more sports.
- 17 Middle School teams went to playoffs; three teams and one individual captured league titles.
Moral Education
Moral Education, anchored by The Buckley Commitment, is a part of all we do. It guides how we interact with students and the expectations we set for them. It is a common thread through our curriculum and advisory program; it is integrated within our curriculum and practiced through our formal community service program.
- In the Lower School and Middle Schools, classes undertake in-school community service projects and have the opportunity to earn special honors for individual service.
- In the Upper School, all students are required to complete community service hours each year. The program evolves through the grades to develop a personal interest and commitment to service.
- In 2010-2011, our Middle and Upper School students performed 20,000 hours of service. 86 students school-wide earned Presidential Service Awards and 155 received Community Service Honors. There were 15 Lower School All-Stars (including 6 kindergarteners).
Motto: Dare to be True
Core Values: Respect, Kindness, Honesty, Loyalty, Self-Reliance and Self-Discipline.